Coin controlled pump



Sept. 29, 17942.v A A. R, MCKAY 2,297,360

COIN CONTROLLED PUMP- A Harney A. R. MCKAY 2,297,360

COIN CONTROLLED PUMPv Sept. 29, 1942'.

Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my, Z n

Attorney Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COINCONTROLLED `PUMP Albert R. McKay, Portland, Oreg.

Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 406,887

l Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in pumpsparticularly for dispensing motor fuel and has for its primary object toprovide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an apparatus of thischaracter wherein a predetermined quantity of fuel will be dispensedupon the insertion of a coin of a given denomination.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a coincontrolled liquid dispensing pump of the aforementioned character whichcomprises novel fraud preventing means.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a coin controlled liquiddispensing pump of the character described which will be comparativelysimple in construction, strong, durable, highly emcient and reliable inoperation, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

VFigure l is a view in front elevation of a portion of a pump whichembodies the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through the coin mechanism.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to Figure2.

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken substantially on the line4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail View in elevation of the circuit opening means.

Figure 6 is a detail view in horizontal section, taken substantially onthe line 6-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a View in horizontal section, taken substantially on theline 'I-l of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a detail view in end elevation of the swinging coinrejector.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit.

Figure 10 is a detail view in vertical section, showing the coincontrolled means for releasably securing the switch in open position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises acasing I of suitable material. The upper portion of the front 2 of thecasing l has formed therein a vertical coin slot 3. Mounted in the lowerportion of the casing I is a removable tray or receptacle 4 for thereception of coins.

Mounted on the front 2 in the upper portion of the casing I vand alignedwith the slot 3 is a substantially U-shaped guide 5. On one side oi theguide 5 is a bracket 6. Mounted on the bracket 6 is a slug detector l.The detector 1 includes a dog 8 which is pivotally and movably mountedon the bracket I5 through the medium of a pin and slot connection 9.Ihe'pivotedv end of the dog 8 is provided with a tail IG. In Figure 6 ofthe drawings a coin entering the machine through the slot 3 is indicatedat II. Coil springs I2 yieldingly resist actuation of the dog 8 by thecoin II.

Mounted beneath the guide 5 in the casing I and adapted to receive fromsaid guide the coins which clear the rejector 'l is a fraud preventingdevice which is designated generally by reference numeral I3. The devicei3 includes a rockable shaft I4 which is journaled, at an intermediatepoint, in a bearing I5 in the casing I. Fixed on one end portion of theshaft I4 is a laterally projecting balance weight or arm I6. Mounted onthe opposite side of the other yend portion of the shaft I4 anddepending therefrom is a coin guide I'i. The guide I'I is adapted toreceive coins from the guide 5.

The guide Il includes depending stationary and pivoted coin retainingfingers I8 and I9, respectively. Mounted adjacent the pivoted coinretaining finger I9 is a dash pot 2. rIhe dash pot 20 comprises acylinder 2l for reception of a suitable fluid, together with a piston 22opere able in said cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder 2| isapertured for communication with a chamber 23 on said cylinder. Thepiston 22 is operatively connected to the pivoted iinger I9 through themedium of a bell crank lever 24.

The device I3 further includes a hanger 25 which depends from the shaftI4 adjacent the guide I'I. Mounted horizontally on the lower end of thehanger 25 is a rejector 26 of substantially segmental cross-section. Therejector 26 has formed therein a slot 21 for receiving coins which arereleased from the guide Il. Rejected coins are returned to the outsideof the machine through troughs 28.

Mounted in the casing I for receiving coins which clear the device I3 isa motor control switch 29. The switch 29 includes a guide 35 forreceiving coins from the rejector 26. Depending from the guide 35 arestationary and pivoted coin retaining Contact lingers 3l and 32,respectively. As best seen in Figure 9 of the drawings, the contactfingers 3| and 32 are in an electric circuit 33 to the motor 34 of theDump- Pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a horizontal plane onlyon the contact finger 32 is a spring returned arm 35. The free endportion of the arm 35 is provided with a thread 35 (see Fig. 5) which isengageable with an adjacent threaded portion 37 of the pump shaft 38.Ad-

jacent one end of the threaded portion 31 ofl the pump shaft 38 is a cam39.

It is thought that the operation of the invert-.- tion will be readilyapparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, a coin of thecorrect denomination is inserted through the slot 3 and enters the guide5. When the coin is thus inserted it engages the inner end of thedog 3and swings the outer end of said dog toward the coin. Thus, if a slughaving a hole in it is inserted the tail I of the dog 8 will enter saidhole and prevent the further insertion of the slug. When the coin passesthe rejector I it drops by gravity from the guide into the guide I'I ofthe device I3. The construction, arrangement and balance of the deviceI3 is such that the rejector 26 is normally swung laterally out ofvertical alignment with the guide 5. The coin passes from the guide 5through the guide Il and is arrested by the fingers I8 and I9. If thecoin is of the correct weight the device I3 is swung by said coin to atrue vertical position, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. Under thecontrol of the dash pot the pivoted finger I9 slowly releases the coinwhich passes through the slot 2'I of the rejector 26 and continues on tothe switch 29. If the coin is light the weight thereof will not besufficient to swing the device I 3 to a true vertical position. If thecoin is too heavy the device I3 is swung thereby beyond a true verticalposition. Thus, in either case the coin, when released by the fingers I8and I9, will drop to either side of the slot 2l and be deflected by therejector 26 into one of the troughs 28.

A. coin actuated latch 46 (see Fig. 10) releasably secures the contactnger 32 of the switch .4

29 :ln open position, as suggested by the dotted lines in Figure 2 ofthe drawings. When a coin clears the rejector 26 of the device I3 itdrops by gravity into the guide 36 of the control switch 29. When thiscoin enters the guide 39 it swings the latch 49 in a direction torelease the contact finger 32. When thus released the nger 32 swingsdownwardly to the full line position in Figure 2 where it coacts withthe finger 3I for arresting and retaining the coin. The coinelectrically connects the contact fingers 3| and 32 thereby closing thecircuit to the pump motor 34.

When the contact nger 32 is released and swings to the full lineposition shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the arm 35 is swungdownwardly into engagement with the threaded portion 3l of the pumpshaft 38. With the electric circuit to the motor 34 closed, it will beunderstood that,

the pump is now in operation, driving the shaft 38. The arm 35 is swunglaterally by reason of its threaded connection with the shaft 38 untilsaid arm engages the cam 39. When this occurs the arm 35 is swungupwardly out of engagement with the shaft 33 thereby returning thepivoted contact finger 32 to open position as seen in dotted lines inFigure 2 of the drawings. This opens the circuit 33 for de-energizingthe electric motor 34 and releases the coin which drops into the tray 4.It will thus be seen that the pump has been actuated for a predeterminedlength of time for dispensing the desired quantity of liquid. Thislength of time is governed by the length of the threaded portion 3l ofthe shaft 38. In Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 4Idesignates the upper portion of a pump housing. This housing is providedwith a plurality of the coin control units for coins of differentdenominations. It will accordingly be seen that the pump is capable ofdispensing different quantities of liquid'. The several units areindicated at 42. As seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, the pump shaft 33is provided with a plurality of threaded portions 31, one for each ofthe units 42.

It is believed that the many advantages of a coin controlled liquiddispensing pump constructed in accordance with the present inventionwill be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of theapparatus is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood thatchanges in the details of construction and in the combination andarrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scopeof the invention as claimed. Y

What is claimed is:

In an electric motor driven liquid dispensing pump including a threadedshaft, a switch for controlling the motor comprising a pair of contactfingers for receiving and retaining a coin therebetween for closing anelectric circuit to the motor, one of said contact fingers being pivotedfor swinging movement, an arm pivotally mounted on the swinging contactfinger and engageable with the threaded shaft for swinging movementthereby, a cam on the shaft for disengaging the arm from said shaft andfor actuating the pivoted contact for releasing the coin, and coincontrolled means for releasably securiizng the pivoted contact finger inoperative posiion.

ALBERT R. MCKAY.

